Check-punching machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. W. W. GUPTILL. CHECK PUNCHING MACHINE. Patented Sept. 24, 1889.

(No Model.)

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IIIIIIIIIIII- WWA/55555 y? (No Model.) 2 sheets-'sheet 2. W. W. GUPTILL.

CHECK PUNGHING MACHINE. 1 No. 411,744. Patented Sept. 24, 1889.4

l I f .w Z711 N. PETERS` Phew-Lim W/T/VEEEEE- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VINSLOW XV. GUPTILL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CHECK-PUNCHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,744, dated September 24, 1889. Application filed December 3, 1888. Serial No. 292,539. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WIN SLOW W. GU PTILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the coun ty of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Check-Punching Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this speciiication, in Which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved check-punching machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same on the line 00:1: of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the same on the line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the same on the line .e a of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail on the line 'w 'w of Fig. 1.

My invention has for its object to improve the construction of that class of machines known as check-punching machines, which are employed for punching out iigures in checks, drafts, dac., to designate the amounts for which they are drawn, and thereby prevent them from being raised or otherwise tampered with; and to this end my invention consists in certain novel combinations of mechanical devices and details of construction, as hereinafter more fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims, whereby a simpler, cheaper, and more desirable machine of this character is produced than is now in ordinary use.

In the said drawings, A represents the frame or casing of the machine, a portion of which extends out in front to form a feed-table b for supporting the check while being punched. W'ithin suitable bearings in the casing A is supported a horizontal shaft B, to the front end of which is secured a wheel O, provided with a series of iiat faces, as seen dotted in Fig. 1, each of these faces having secured to it by means of screws d a removable die-plate c. Immediately over the shaft B is placed a horizontal shaft D, the front end of which is supported in a box c, which slides vertically in suitable guides and is supported by a spiral spring f, placed beneath it, as seen in Fig. 2, the rear end of this shaft being supported in a bearing gin the casin g, suitably formed to allow the shaft to beltilted up and down, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. To

the front end of the shaft D is secured a punch-wheel G, to the periphery of which, at. suitable distances apart, are secured groups of punches a, arranged to form the figures and characters which it is desired to punch out of the check, the die-plates e on the wheel C having their dies or apertures 7L formed to correspond and actin conjunction with the punches or dies a of the wheel G when the latter is depressed by mechanism to be pres ently described. To the rear ends of the shafts B D are secured gears i lo, which engage with each other, and to the front end of the shaft B, serrated hand-wheel H, by turning which the punch and die wheels G C, through the connections described, are rotated simultaneously to bring any desired punch a into position to cut out a corresponding iigure on the check when the punch-wheel is depressed, the front face of the punchswheel being provided with figures and characters, as seen in Fig. 1, to indicate the positions of the punches.

l is an index-finger or pointer, which, when any ligure or character is brought immediately thereunder, indicates that the punch corresponding to said ligure or character is in the proper position to punch the check. This pointer l is secured to a ring fm, which is screwed to the casing in front of the punch- Wheel, and serves to conceal the punches a from view and form an ornamental inish at this point.

n, Fig. 2,is a friction springstopmhich engages With a series of rounded or inclined notches ,p on the rear 'face of the punch-wheel, and as said wheel is rotated serves to center each punch exactly over its die in the wheel C, thereby insuring the proper co-operation of the punches and dies.

q is a strippenplate or clearer, which is placed between the rotary punch and die wheels, and is provided with an aperture 10 for the passage of the punches, said stripper acting in the ustnl manner to clear the punches from the check as they ascend.

l will now describe the manner in which the punch-wheel G is depressed to cause it to cut out the gures or characters on the check.

fr is a horizontal shaft extending transversely across the machine and provided at outside the casing, is secured a.

its right-hand end outside the casing with a hand-lever s, Fig. 1, provided with a knob or handle t, placed in a convenient position to be grasped by the hand. To this shaft r is secured an arm or toe u, which rests upon the sliding box or bearing c of the shaft D, and thus as the hand-lever s is pushed down the arm u depresses the box c, carrying with it the punch-wheel G, the lower punch of which, in connection with its die, then cuts out the corresponding figure on the check, as required, after which the hand-lever s is released, when the spring f will raise the punch-wheel G, and the die and punch wheels. are then rotated, as before described, to bring the punch and die corresponding to the figure or character which it is next desired to cut out into its proper roperative position.

I will now describe the manner in which the check is automatically fed forward after each figure has been lpunched out in order to bring it into the proper position for the next figure or character to be cut out. To the shaft fr is secured a long arm or lever a', the outer end of which is pivoted to the upper end of an arm Vor bar I, of the form seen in Fig. 3. This bar I is .pressed in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3, by a light spring c', the outer end of which is provided with flanges S, Figs. 2 and 3, which fit over the edges of the bar and serve as guides therefor, and also to keep the bar always in contact with the spring. The lower end of the bar I is bifurcated, two fingers 12 14, of different lengths, being thus formed, whereby the lower end of the lbar is adapted to engage with a series of pins d', projecting horizontally from the side of a wheel K, secured to the end of the horizontal shaft e of a feed-roll f', Fig. 2, immediately over which is placed a pressureroll g', mounted on a shaft 15. The shaft e of the feed-roll f is supported in such manner as to allow it to be pressed down against the resistance of a spring, as seen dotted in Fig. 1, by taking hold of a knob or handle 20 at the outer end of said shaft, which movement of the feed-roll allows the check to be introduced between said roll and the roll g above. The parts being in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, when the punchoperating lever s is depressed the bar I is raised by the arm a until its lower bifurcated end is carried up to a suflicient height to engage the next succeeding pin d of the wheel K, the spring c yielding to permit this movement, and as soon as the shorter finger 12 at the end of the bar I clears this next pin CZ above the spring c forces the bar I inward in the direction of the arrow until the longer finger 14 is brought into contact with said pin. As the punch rises after cutting out the figure or character the bar I commences to descend, and as soon as the punch on its ascent 'feed-roll f', thus feeding forward the check a distan ce equal to that required between two iigures or characters to be cut. As soon as the bar I has completed its downward movement the pin d next above the one engaged is brought into contact with the inner side of the bar I, as seen in Fig. 3, which thus forms a stop for preventing the feed-roll from being rotated beyond the proper point by its own momentum.

On the righthand side of the punch and die wheels is placed a printing device for printing the name andaddress of the drawer of the check or other desired matter. This device consists-of a printing-roll L, Figs. 8 and 5, mounted on a tilting shaft 7L', supported at its front end by a spring i', Fig. 5, and having a handle 7c', by which it can be depressed to allow the check to be inserted between the printing-roll L and the impression-roll Z above, and immediately beneath the printing-roll isplaced an inking-pad fm',

which is secured to a plate n', supportedon a short post-p', fitting within a tubular post 25 and surrounded by a spiral springqf, which serves to keep the inking-pad up in a proper position to ink the typesas the roll L is rotated, and by means of this device as the check is drawn forward by the feeding device j ust described it will receive the name or address o'r other matter which it maybe desired to print thereon. In order to prevent the check'from being pushed in too far, suitable adjustable gages r are provided on each side of the machine, which serve to regulate the position of the check and determine the distance from its edge of the figures or characters-punched out and the printed matter producedby the printing device.

What I claim as -my invention, and desire to secure'by Letters Patent, is-e 1. In a check-punching machine, the coinbination of a rotary wheel provided with a series of dies and a rotary wheel carryingV a series of punches corresponding to said dies and having a movement toward and from said die-wheel, said die and punch wheels'being mounted on shafts connected by gears, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2 In a check-punching machine, a rotary wheel carrying a vseries of punches and mounted on a shaft supported atits front end in a vertically-sliding I box or bearing, said wheel having figures on its front side to indi- IOO los

cate the positions of the punches, in combina tion with a rotary wheel having a series of dies corresponding to the punches and mount ed on a shaft geared to the shaft of the punchwheel, whereby the two wheels areadapted to be rotated simultaneously by hand, a feedtable for supporting the check to be punched, a lever for depressing the punch-wheel to cause the punches carried thereby to pass through the paper, and a feeding device for moving the check after each'gure has been punched out, substantially as set forth.

3. In a check-punching machine, a rotary wheel mounted on a horizontal shaft and having a series ot' straight faces, each provided with a removable die-plate, in combination with a rotary Wheel carrying a series of punches and having a movement toward and from said die-wheel, said punch-wheel being mounted on a shaft geared at its rear end to the shaft of the die-wheel, a feed table or support, a stripper;plate or clearer placed between the punch and die wheels, and a feeding device for moving the check after each operation of the punch, all constructed an d arranged to operate substantially as described.

4. In a check-punching machine, the combination of a rotary wheel carrying a series of removable dies and provided with a knob or hand-wheel for turning the same, a rotary wheel carrying a series of punches and having a movement toward and from the diewheel, said die and punch wheels being mounted on shafts connected at their rear ends by gears, a hand-lever for depressing the punchwheel, a spring for raising the same after each depression, a feed-table for supporting the check, a stripper-plate or clearer placed between the die and punch wheels, a printing device consisting of a printing-roll, a pressureroll acting in conjunction therewith, and an inkingdevice, the shaft of said printing-roll yielding downwardly and being adapted to be depressed by the hand to admit the check between the two rolls, and a feeding device for moving the check after each figure has been punched out, substantially as set forth.-

5. In a check-punching machine, the combination of a rotary wheel carrying a series of removable dies and provided with a knob or hand-wheel for turning the same, a rotary wheel carrying a series of punches and having a movement toward and from the diewheel, said die and punch wheels being mounted on shafts connected at their rear ends by gears, a shaft r, provided with a hand-lever s and having an arm u, bearing on the vertically-sliding box c of the shaft D of the punch-wheel G, and adapted to depress said wheel, and an arm or lever a', connected with and operating the feeding device for moving the check after each figure has been punched out, substantially as set forth.

6. In a check-punching machine, the combination, with the rotary punch and die wheels operating substantially as described, of the printing device consisting of the printing and impression rolls L Z', the former mounted on a spring-supported downwardlyyielding shaft h, adapted to be depressed by hand to allow of the introduction of the check between said rolls, and an inking device for the printing-roll, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 30th day of November, A. D. 1888.

VINSLOV W. GUPTILL.

In presence of- P. E. TESCHEMACHER, A. D. Gnovnn. 

